Three line chalk box



July 31, 1962 F. ROMERO THREE LINE CHALK BOX Filed Sept. 16, 1959 Fred Romero 1N VEN TOR.

United States Patent Filed Sept. 16, 1959, Ser. N0. 840,295 3 Claims. (CI. 33-87) This invention relates generally to marking or drawing equipment and more particularly to a chalk box enabling straight lines of various colors to be drawn.

Although chalk boxes for drawing straight lines are presently available, they are all somewhat inadequate inasmuch as they are unable to draw lines of several different colors. Of course, it will be apparent that if straight lines of individual colors could be drawn, the clarity of the diagram or plans being sketched will be enhanced. For example, a line of one color may be needed for the elevation of windows, a second color may be needed for anotherline on thesame panel or, for instance, boring holes for wall ties.- Also, a line may be needed for a grate to pour concrete, etc. Therefore, it will be appreciated that it wouldbe advantageous to provide a single chalk box incorporating lines of difierent colors.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of this invention to provide a novel chalk box construction which is compact, so that it may be easily handled and utilized without being cumbersome, and which incorporates means for enabling straight lines of various colors to be drawn.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel chalk box construction which is relatively simple, and accordingly easy to operate, durable and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is a still further object'of this invention to provide a novel chalk box construction including a U-shaped casing which includes a bight portion and a pair of spaced legs extending therefrom. A first pipe of a small diameter is received within the U-shaped casing adjacent the arcuate flat portion. A pipe of a larger diameter bridges the free ends of the legs. Side panels close the U-shaped casing. Rotatably received within the smaller pipe is a first spool while second and third spools are received within the large pipe. All these spools have flexible lines thereon and cranks are provided for rotating the spools to let the flexible line out through the casing. Partition walls within the casing isolate the spools one from the other. Windows are provided in the casing for receiving powder therethrough, of various colors, so as to dust the flexible line on the spool. Accordingly, when the line is extended over a surface, and snapped 'thereagainst, the chalk dust or powder will leave a straight line imprint upon the surface. Of course, since the spools are isolated one from the other, the chalk dust poured through the casing windows may be of different colors so that different color lines may be established. Transparent plates are detachably secured to the casing above the windows for preventing chalk dust from being accidentally poured from the casing.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the invention, illustrating particularly the external characteristics thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the plane 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view illustrating how the chalk box may be utilized as a plumb, particularly 2 showing means for locking movement between a pair of spools.

With continuing reference to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally represents; the chalk box comprising this inventionand initially including a U-shaped casing 12-.hav-. ing an arcuate bight portion 14 and a pair of spac'edle'gs 16 and 18 extending therefrom. A small pipe 20 is re ceived within the U-shaped casing 12 adjacent the arcuate bight portion 14 thereof. A large pipe 22 is held between screws 24 and 26, between the free ends of the free legs 16 and 18. Side plates 28 and 30 bear against the pipes 20 and 22 between the legs 16 and 18 of the U- shapcd casing 12. Bolts 32 and 34 extend from the side plates 30 through the. side plates 28 and are secured by nuts (not shown).. V

A shaft 36 extends through the smaller pipe 20 and is rotatably supported in apertures in the plates 28. and 30. The shaft 36 has a crank 38 perpendicularly secured thereto by a screw 40 and the crank 38 has a. terminally mounted transverse projection 42 secured thereto. Keyed to the shaft 36, as at 44, is a spool 50 having a hub portion 52 and end flanges 54 and 56. A' flexible line 58 is secured to the spool 50 as at 60. The flexible ,line 58 extends outwardly from the spool 50 through'aligned openings 62 and 64formed in the smaller pipeyZt) and bight portion 14 of the .U -shaped casing 12. A ring is terminally carried by the flexible line 58. It is also to be noted that a window 68 is formed within the pipe 20 with the window 68 being aligned with a window 70 formed in the casing 14. Accordingly, chalk dust of a desired color may be placed upon the spool 50 so that the flexible line 58 may pick up chalk dust. A transparent plate 72 may be secured to the casing '12 above the window 68 and 70 so as to prevent the chalk dust from accidentally being poured therefrom. The plate 72 is transparent and reveals to the user, the color of the particular line.

The larger pipe 22 is partitioned by partition walls 76 into a first section 78 and a second section 80. Shafts 82 and 84 rotatably extend through the side plates 28 and 30 and terminate in bearing surfaces within the partition wall 76. Spools 86 and 88, similar to the spool 50 are respectively keyed to the shafts 32 and 84. Flexible lines 90 and 92 are secured to the spools 86 and 88 at 94 and 96. Again similar to the construction explained above for spool 50 and pipe 20, apertures 98 and 100 are provided in the pipe 22 so that the flexible lines 90 and 92 may extend therefrom. A single ring 102 is carried by the line 90 while a tandem ring 104 is carried by the line 92. Each of the shafts 82 and 84 have cranks 106 and 108 secured by screws 110 and 112, transversely extending therefrom. Also, perpendicular projections 114 and 1 16 terminally extending from the cranks 106 and 108.

Again, similar to the windows 68 and 70 formed in conjunction with the pipe 20 and casing 12, windows 1-20 and 122 are formed in the pipe 22 and leg 16 above the sections 78 and 80. A transparent plate 124 is secured beneath the screw 24 above the windows for closing the windows but enabling the operator to view the colored chalk dust within.

When utilizing the chalk box for drawing straight lines, the desired flexible line isextended from the respective spool by pulling one of the rings 102, 104 or 66, or by turning the crank indicated. Then, with each of the ends of the flexible line held fast, the line may be snapped against a surface, so that the colored chalk dust will be deposited on the surface'and a straightline will be established. Since diiferent colors may be utilized in each of the sections indicated, lines of various colors may be established. A secondary function of the device is particularly illustrated in FIGURE 4 wherein the chalk box is utilized as a plumb suspended from line 58. For this purpose, the tandem ring 104 is received on the projections 42 and 116 carried by the cranks 38 and 108 to prevent relative movement thereof. Accordingly, the line 58 may be let out a specific length and then the box 10 may be suspended as indicated.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and, changes will readily occur to those skilled in the ant, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A device for drawing straight lines of various colors comprising a casing divided into a plurality of closed compartments, at least one spool rotatable in each compartment, a flexible line wound upon each of said spools and each line having a free end extending through a hole in each compartment wall, a quantity of marking powder of different color in each compartment, a removable transparent window in a wall of each compartment for viewing and refilling said powder, a crank connected to each spool for rewinding same and a ring secured to the free end of each of said lines for withdrawing the lines from their respective compartments, two of said spools being rotatably mounted on two spaced parallel axes, the crank connected to each of said two spools having a handle parallel to said axes, said handle being rotatable to a position closely adjacent one another, the ring connected to one of said two spools being a double ring whereby it may be fitted simultaneously over both of said handles when they are rotated to said adjacent position so as to permit the ring and line connected to the other of said two spools to support the device in a suspended position for using it as a plumb.

2. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein the removable windows are fixed to the casing by screws extending through the windows and threaded into holes in the easmg.

3. A device as decited in claim 2 wherein the casing comprises two parallel pipes having coplanar ends covered by parallel plate members secured to the pipes, one of said pipes being larger than the other, and a partition dividing said one pipe into two of said compartments.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS mi l -F... 

